"Human, I can overlook the matter of Carlyle. I permit you to continue summoning me and utilizing my power in the future. However, we must also formalize a new agreement. Upon your death, all your inheritance shall belong to me—be it your wealth or your territory; everything will be mine. You have no objections, do you?"
The massive red dragon had returned to the cave, her urgency apparent as she hastened back, fearing that the dwarven warrior had already died from the onslaught. She calculated her timing perfectly and transported herself back to the cave, exuding a formidable presence, prepared to avenge Count Carlyle. Yet, after intimidating everyone into submission, she promptly introduced her new terms.
Carlyle's fate was inconsequential to her; what mattered more was establishing new negotiations.
Her terms were so generous that they were difficult to refuse, but Deshurte, now re-inserted into the role of a magical pet, had gained a fresh understanding of the dragon's cunning and shamelessness. Lynn, lacking anything of real value, naturally wouldn't balk at exchanging an inheritance he didn't possess for a dragon as an ally. Yet, he might not realize that what the dragon really sought was an empire—one that could yield an abundance of treasures.
Such behavior was excessively crafty. The willingness to work for a human in exchange for wealth was disgraceful. Deshurte had previously believed only the white dragons engaged in such shameless acts, serving human mages for a claim to their legacies. He hadn't expected the red dragon, despite her pride as a chromatic dragon, to stoop to similar tactics.
Then again, the difference between the legacy of an emperor and that of an ordinary mage was likely far greater than that between a red dragon and a white dragon.
For money, it seemed dragons would forsake their dignity, and serving Lynn was far more honorable than being a mere flamethrower for gnomes or gray dwarves.
Of course, all of this hinged on Lynn actually dying and being willing to fulfill the contract's terms. This seemed rather unlikely, but then again, the red dragon planned to stay close to Lynn, so who knew if she might not preemptively help herself to his inheritance when his wealth grew, and he was too weak to resist?
Dragons' understanding of contracts was certainly not aligned with that of normal beings—yet these were matters Deshurte felt were not worth his concern.
"Esteemed Scarlet Meteor, I am more than willing to accept this deal."
In the midst of envious gazes around him, Lynn agreed to the dragon's terms. A dragon at his command would provide immense assistance. With Shamila bursting into hearty laughter, Finn and the others finally realized that the battle was over.
After much plotting, they had defeated the vampires and turned against the priest Losanda, even dispatching the unexpected drow involved. Although complications had arisen, and events had unfolded beyond their expectations, the battles had concluded, and all was finally resolved.
Though they remained puzzled about the reasons behind Eirich's madness, with both Eirich and the dwarven warrior dead and Losanda's team annihilated, the adventurers knew little about what had transpired inside the cave.
In truth, knowing mattered little, for they now had a dragon's support, and with sufficient strength, nothing was insurmountable in Faerûn.
All that remained were some housekeeping tasks. Finn had captured the deceased Eurys and used the Speak with Dead spell to interrogate her about the location of Losanda's artifact. Imory had begun searching the vampire count's corpse, methodically scouring the remains for valuable items to claim as her own.
Lynn observed all this but chose not to participate. Finn's inquiries about the artifact were likely aimed at handing it over to the Banes, not out of personal interest, but rather for potential rewards, perhaps even stronger spells.
Such matters were not for him to meddle in—although offering the artifact to Orcus might yield benefits, he was already disinclined to align with Orcus, so he certainly wouldn't act in that way.
As for the treasures Imory uncovered, they still needed to be distributed among the team, yet Lynn had no intention of claiming anything more. With the red dragon Shamila and a binding contract that allowed him to command her, he had already gained significantly. He felt no need for more.
After all, one person shouldn't take all the spoils.
Once he had calmed the dragon, Lynn gathered his allies Marty and Howard and set off through the cave to locate the smugglers' stash, intending to burn everything to the ground.
This was their initial goal, and Lynn hadn't forgotten. Only by destroying everything would the surviving bandits be deterred from heading north; to achieve their objective, they must cut off the bandits' means of survival.
The uninhabited caves were easy to traverse, and they quickly located their target. The items there were merely what the vampires deemed worthless, trivial compared to their valuable magical possessions, yet essential supplies for the people near Dagger Valley. They set fire to the stash, sending thick smoke billowing into the air.
Watching the scene unfold, Lynn nodded in satisfaction, just as Finn approached him.
"I've learned the approximate location of the dwarven secret vault. It's unguarded, and we can easily access its contents. I plan to hand the artifact of the Lord of Dawn over to the church, but we can keep the other weapons for ourselves. Having a stockpile of dwarven arms would significantly boost our combat capabilities."
"Handle that as you see fit," Lynn nodded in response. "Now, we should head back to Dagger Valley—trouble is brewing there soon."
"Indeed, once this news spreads, the bandits will stir and might even attack Dagger Valley. If that happens, we can lead them northward. The residents of Dagger Valley might even thank us—not only did we cleanse the area of vampires, but we also drove off the bandits and dealt a heavy blow to their smuggling operations. In a way, we'll be performing a noble deed."
Finn spoke with a hint of sarcasm, but after the jest, his demeanor grew serious. "After this, we need to head north… How to establish ourselves in the lawless lands will become our new challenge."
"I have an idea about that," Lynn turned to respond. "We've been fortunate; things may be going more smoothly than we anticipated."